November 18, 2020

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Parks Associates Announces Top 10 US Subscription OTT Video Services for 3Q 2020

Top ten list reveals significant gains for Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple TV+ into top tier of US OTT services, while the “Big 3” remain unchanged

Parks Associates, ahead of the third annual Future of Video conference, today released its updated list of the top 10 US subscription over-the-top (OTT) video services, based on estimated number of subscribers through September 2020 from the firm’s OTT Video Market Tracker.

Parks Associates notes that recent entrants such as HBO Max, Apple TV+, and Disney+ have rearranged the top ten list. Sling TV dropped out of the list, and with MLB.tv falling off, ESPN+ is the only sports-based service in the list. Despite all these changes, the top three remain fixed with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. NBCUniversal’s Peacock is starting to make inroads in terms of paid subscriptions, but currently the base for that service is mainly comprised of users of the free ad-supported tier.

Top 10 US Subscription OTT Video Services

1. Netflix

2. Amazon Prime Video

3. Hulu

4. Disney+

5. ESPN+

6. HBO Max

7. Apple TV+

8. CBS All Access

9. Showtime

10. Starz

“For many years, the Big 3 in OTT, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, have ruled the top of the subscription-based OTT service space,” said Steve Nason, Research Director, Parks Associates, and author of Parks Associates’ industry report The Next 'Big 3' in OTT. “However, with newer entrants and expanded offerings, that trend may be about to change. The Big 3 and their main challengers have gone to market with varying content and distribution strategies, with the same goal in mind: reach elusive consumers with a compelling content offering and user experience to be a foundational essential service in an OTT subscriber’s service stack.”

Parks Associates’ OTT Video Market Tracker tracks the content offerings, business strategies, and subscription numbers for OTT services in North America. The research firm reports that 78% of US broadband households subscribe to at least one OTT service, up from 71% the previous year. The new report The Next 'Big 3' in OTT evaluates the emergence of new SVOD services recently launched and their potential impact on the market penetration and revenue of the current dominant services.

“The Walt Disney Company announced 10 million subscribers upon initial launch, which put Disney+ as fourth on the list, where it has remained for almost a year,” Nason said. “That shows how difficult it will be for any service to break into the ‘Big 3’ for OTT services. Partnerships are essential. For example, HBO Max will get a boost from its deal with Amazon to roll out its service on Amazon Fire TV devices.”

Parks Associates will explore new strategies in OTT, pay-TV, and video services at the third annual Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media, a virtual conference on December 14-16 that features visionary speakers from Amazon, Bloomberg Media, ESPN, Revry, Tubi, and Verizon Media. More information is at www.futureofvideo.us.

More information about Parks Associates’ OTT research is available at www.parksassociates.com. To request data or an interview, please contact Rosey Ulpino at [email protected], 972.996.0233.

About Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media

Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media brings together senior leaders to share insights on new trends in the video and connected entertainment industries, with insights on consumer adoption, churn, and spending. The event provides insight into successful OTT strategy deployments, challenges for pay-TV providers, the role of connected CE in the growth of video viewing, new content formats, and the overall impact to the video market.

Future of Video addresses new strategies for cableco, OTT, and mobile service providers to provide high-quality customer service, retain subscribers and attract new customers, and design bundled options through new distribution strategies.

Future of Video takes place virtually on February 10, March 31, May 5, July 21, and September 10, 2022, with an in-person conference on December 12-14, 2022. For more information, visit www.futureofvideo.us. Register Now.